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Theme Of Harrison Bergeron

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Fairness is Not What it Seems
Kurt Vonnegut's futuristic story “Harrison Bergeron” takes place in the year 2081 and everyone is equal in intelligence, beauty and ability. But one boy named Harrison Bergeron does not like this equality, because many citizens including him have handicaps, limiting their physical and mental abilities. Harrison is a very intelligent person. His parents are watching a ballet performance, and Harrison decides to make his move and protest the handicaps at the performance, but unfortunately it only ends with Harrison dead and no change occurs. One lesson that this story teaches is that equality is not always equal.
In the beginning of the story, it starts with George and Hazel, Harrison’s parents watching a ballet performance on their TV. George thought the dancers on TV were graceful-enough. They had handicaps, bags with weights in them, so it made it difficult to dance. Some of the dancers also had ear-piece handicaps, which screeched in their ears when they thought a bad thought. George did not like that dancers had handicaps.. “George was toying with the vague notion that maybe dancers shouldn’t have handicaps. But, he didn’t get very far with it before another noise ear scattered his thoughts.” This metaphor …show more content…
For example, George was unable to believe the ballerinas should not be handicapped because that thought was not “equal” to others. Additionally, Harrison was burdened with many handicaps such as glasses and humongous headphones, just because he was extremely intelligent. And finally, Hazel was unable to remember her son's death on live television. This theme relates to today because many people believe equality would be amazing. But truly, it would cause an unstable government and society for all citizens of the United States. It would do away with all of the inventors and dreamers of our country. Equality for all is truly not what it

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